so precious in its history and for the memorable associations which
belong to it.

RUTHERFORD B. HAYES.

WASHINGTON, D.C., _April 14, 1880_.

His Excellency RUTHERFORD B. HAYES,
_President of the United States_.

MY DEAR SIR: I have been privileged to bring with me from Boston, as a
present to the United States, a very precious historical relic. It is
the little desk on which Mr. Jefferson wrote the original draft of the
Declaration of Independence.

This desk was given by Mr. Jefferson himself to my friend, the late
Joseph Coolidge, of Boston, at the time of his marriage to Jefferson's
granddaughter, Miss Randolph, and it bears an autograph inscription
of singular interest, written by the illustrious author of the
Declaration in the very last year of his life.

On the recent death of Mr. Coolidge, whose wife had died a year or
two previously, the desk became the property of their children, Mr.
J. Randolph Coolidge, Dr. Algernon Coolidge, Mr. Thomas Jefferson
Coolidge, and Mrs. Ellen Dwight, who now desire to offer it to
the United States, so that it may henceforth have a place in the
Department of State in connection with the immortal instrument which
was written upon it in 1776.

They have done me the honor to make me the medium of this
distinguished gift, and I ask permission to place it in the hands of
the Chief Magistrate of the nation in their name and at their request.

Believe me, dear Mr. President, with the highest respect, very
faithfully, your obedient servant,

ROBT. C. WINTHROP.

WASHINGTON, _May 13, 1880_.

_To the Senate of the United States_:

I transmit herewith to the Senate, in response to their resolution of
the 24th of March last, in relation to the fulfillment of the ninth
article of the treaty of 1819 between the United States and Spain, a
report of the Secretary of State on the correspondence asked for by
the resolution, with its accompanying documents, and in connection
therewith a previous report from the Secretary of State and an opinion
of the Attorney-General on the subject of the East Florida claims.

R.B. HAYES.

WASHINGTON, _May 17, 1880_.

_To the House of Representatives_:

In compliance with the resolution of the House of Representatives of
the 27th ultimo, calling for copies of the correspondence with the
Government of Great Britain in regard to the alleged outrage upon
American fishermen at Fortune Bay, in the Province of Newfoundland,
I transm